Dubai: Five new bridges leading to Deira Islands open
Dubai’s five new bridges leading to Deira Islands were officially opened on Saturday, the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority announced.
Constructed in cooperation with Nakheel, these new roads are connected to an existing bridge crossing over the Dubai Water Canal. They form a key part of the RTA’s massive Shindagha Corridor project, which stretches 13km along the Sheikh Rashid, Al Mina, Al Khaleej and Cairo Streets. This mega infrastructure, divided into five phases and expected to be completed in 2030, would cut transit time along the stretch from 104 to only 16 minutes.
“The newly constructed bridges and roads provide access points to and from Deira Islands at the intersection of Al Khaleej-Abu Baker Al Siddique Streets. The bridges span 2,571 metres in length and have a total capacity of 20,700 vehicles per hour,” said Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.
Deira Islands is Dubai’s new waterfront developed by Nakheel. It consists of four man-made islands where hundreds of hotels, furnished flats, mixed-use buildings and marinas are set to rise.
The first of the five bridges to the islands extends 472 metres and provides free movement for motorists on Al Khaleej St heading northwards. With two lanes, it can accommodate up to 3,000 vehicles per hour, Al Tayer said.
“The second is a three-lane bridge that extends 503 metres and provides free traffic from Deira Islands in the direction of Al Shindagha Tunnel at a capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour.” Another two-lane bridge extends 647 metres from Deira Islands to Al Khaleej Street at a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.
The fourth is the widest bridge, with six lanes extending 362 metres, linking with the internal roads of Deira Islands at a capacity of 7,200 vehicles per hour.
The last one is two-lane bridge that extends 587 metres and provides free traffic from Al Khaleej St southwards to Deira Islands at a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour.
